How should the diet be in children who play sports?
The diet of developing children is very similar to that of a high-performance athlete.
When a child begins to play sports from an early age, parents usually start worrying about whether their child is fed correctly and not It lacks any nutrients.
The first thing we should value is if There are, or not, overweight. If it exists, we should correct this problem as soon as possible so we can then focus on the child's sports nutrition. Once we correct this problem we have to balance the amount of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals that they consume daily.
It is true that carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, cereals, fruits, buns, cakes, juices, soft drinks, etc.) are used as sources of energy but we must control your consumption since all excess will be later transformed into fat if we do not use it.
Usually children abuse this type of nutrient, and above all, the intake of milk with cereals and cookies, which is often repeated up to three times throughout the day.
No it is recommended to raise a strict regime to a child, As its diet must be complete and varied and only certain nutrients must be restricted in case corrections in the weight have to be made or we have difficulties in maintaining an adequate weight.
You have to do a lot emphasis in the mid-morning snacks and snack, because many times for convenience we fill these spaces with artificial juices and pastries loaded with sugars.
- Important to take a varied diet.
- Perform five meals a day at regular intervals to maintain stable levels of sugar throughout the day.
- The protein consumption for a child is a little higher than what an adult should do.
- Use fats mainly olive oil and peanut butter.
- Ensure proper water-based hydration that is as important as proper nutrition.